Agreement reached in BA dispute with cabin crew

The Unite union called off strike action planned for next week after the deal was struck following a mass meeting of union members near Heathrow Airport.

Unite leader Len McCluskey said he was “delighted” to have reached an agreement, saying it was good news for the workers, the airline and its customers.

“We look forward to working with the company to repair any wounds and work through the issues which have kept us apart for so long.

“I look forward to a very positive future as we move forward.

The proposed deal will end the 18-month long dispute and will lead to the restoration of travel concessions for cabin crew, the issue that was holding up a settlement. Also under the deal, cabin crew would receive a two-year pay rise worth almost 6%.

The proposals will now be put to a ballot of Unite members which will start next week with the result expected by the end of June.

‘Honourable settlement’

Mr McCluskey said the union will recommend the deal to its workers over the coming weeks.

“We will be balloting members over the next 3 or 4 weeks to accept this agreement.

“We are recommending this deal because we believe it is an honourable settlement.

“There’s no doubt the brand of the company is damaged. But we need a lasting peace to repair that damage and restore integrity to the airline.” Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey

“There’s no doubt the brand of the company is damaged. But we need a lasting peace to repair that damage and restore integrity to the airline.

He said the deal will pave the way for a positive future between the airline and its cabin crew.

“This agreement will allow us to go forward in partnership together to strengthen this great British company – good news for BA, its employees and its customers alike.”

Costly dispute

BA cabin crew staged 22 days of strikes last year, causing misery for travellers and costing the airline more than £150 million.

While the two sides, which came close to a deal last year, had failed to reach an agreement in talks spanning a year and a half, recent changes in leadership at Unite and BA gave fresh impetus to moves to reach a settlement.

BA’s former chief executive, Willie Walsh, became boss of International Airlines Group – formed by the merger of BA and Iberia earlier this year – and was succeeded by Keith Williams.

Mr McCluskey thanked BA chief Keith Williams for his efforts in reaching a deal, saying he “deserves an enormous amount of credit”.

He also paid tribute to Unite’s BA cabin crew members.

He said: “Their resilience, discipline and determination to be treated properly has been an inspiration to all who have worked alongside them in this dispute and has been a model of 21st century trade unionism.

“They deserve this agreement and the prosperous future at British Airways I hope it secures.”

Threat of strikes lifted

A British Airways spokesman welcomed the agreement with union workers.

“On behalf of our customers, we are very pleased the threat of industrial action has been lifted and that we have reached a point where we can put this dispute behind us.

“Our agreement with Unite involves acknowledgement by the union that the cost-saving structural changes we have made in cabin crew operations are permanent.

“On behalf of our customers, we are very pleased the threat of industrial action has been lifted and that we have reached a point where we can put this dispute behind us.” British Airways spokesman

“We have also agreed changes that will modernise our crew industrial relations and help ensure that this kind of dispute cannot occur again.”

Unite leader

Unite elected McCluskey, seen as one of Britain’s more militant union leaders, to succeed former joint general secretaries Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson.

The dispute started in November 2009 when BA cut the number of crew on some long-haul flights to 14 from 15 and introduced a two-year pay freeze from 2010.

Travel perks were taken away from about 7,000 cabin crew who took part in the original strikes, and the row became one of the most bitter disputes in Britain’s recent industrial history.